


By Any Other Name

by Pegasus143



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M, Minor Kaz Brekker/Jesper Fahey, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:22:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28235358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pegasus143/pseuds/Pegasus143
Summary: Most members of the Dregs knew that something was going on between Kaz and Inej. Not that they'd dare say anything.
Relationships: Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa
Comments: 12
Kudos: 83
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	By Any Other Name

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aworldinside](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aworldinside/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide! Getting to flesh out some of the minor characters made this super fun to write.

Per Haskell thought that Kaz was a perfectly fine member of the Dregs. After a bit of acclimating and growing up, the boy proved to have a perfectly fine head on his shoulders, never getting distracted by schemes for some quick _kruge_ or the threat of a good time. And even though he kept to himself, the other members of the Dregs grew to trust him – after all, he got results, even if his methods were a bit… _unusual_. To be more specific: his methods were quick, and they were brutal.

That was why, after one of his usual trips down West Stave – for information, not pleasure, as he always said -- Haskell was surprised when the boy appeared in his office with a proposition.

“You want me to buy out this girl’s contract?” Haskell asked, looking up from the ledger open on his desk to stare at the boy incredulously. If he hadn’t known better, he would’ve thought that some swindler had mistaken the boy’s all-black getup and crow-head cane for a Mister Crimson costume.

“Even adorned with bells, she was completely invisible. She’d make a good spider.”

Every other recruit the boy had brought in had been a good investment. Really, Haskell shouldn’t question this… but he had to remind the boy of who was in charge here. “And the Peacock agreed to this?”

The boy shrugged. “Everyone has the right price.”

Haskell sighed. One day, that boy was going to get into some serious trouble, and he was _not_ planning on backing him then, no matter how full his coffers were. “How much?”

* * *

It was a good night at the Crow Club. Rojakke dealt a new hand to Jesper, who was always full of energy and made people stick around for longer – namely, a couple of Ravkan tourists who’d originally only agreed to one hand of Three Man Bramble. Rojakke only knew how many hands they’d actually stuck around for by the weight of his skimmed earnings. It was only fair that he should get a bit extra. Keeping track of the wagers and coin, while also keeping the players at the table with a bit of joking and small talk – it was hard work!

The round passed, a few _kruge_ were collected, and the lively chatter of onlookers bubbled around him. Just another good night at the Crow Club.

“Wraith!” He called out, a bit startled as she appeared at his side. “What brings you here?” He knew, of course, but it was all part of the job, you see.

“Can we speak privately?” she asked, nodding towards one of the private parlors. This was also part of the job. The part where your boss-but-not-really finds out that you’ve been skimming and sends his wraith-slash-spider-slash-possible-girlfriend who _probably_ has at least one very sharp knife on her at all times to do his bidding.

“Inej,” he said, hoping that the use of her name would make her see some _human_ sense instead of Dirtyhands’ business sense.

“We can do this in private, or we can do this out here,” she said, apparently already too far gone.

“Come on, we’re friends, right?” he asked, knowing already that ‘friends’ wouldn’t be good enough for her. Not when she was so closely entwined with the Bastard of the Barrel.

“You’ve been skimming,” she said curtly, sounding an awful lot like him. “Kaz wants you gone.”

“It’s not fair!” he bellowed. If the Wraith was going to play Dirtyhands’ game, then he could, too. “I ain’t no cheat!”

Heads turned at the scene, and he smiled smugly to himself. If enough people got the impression that the Crow Club’s dealers couldn’t be trusted, Dirtyhands could lose _quite a bit_ of profit.

“Take it up with Kaz,” she replied quietly, a hint of conflict in her voice. As it should be – anyone with a heart like hers who got caught up with a mind like Dirtyhands’ would have to be conflicted.

“And keep your voice down,” Jesper added from the table, the seats of the two tourists now unoccupied.

“Where’s Brekker?” growled Rojakke, ignoring him.

“I don’t know.”

That’s when he knew that she was too far gone to Dirtyhands’ schemes.

* * *

Rotty had no idea what Brekker was planning, or whether this scuffle – no, this was an all-out fight – with the Black Tips was even part of it. But he’d never seen such – Anger? Vengeance? Dare he call it love? – from the man until now. As he climbed over the maze of crates on the harbor, carrying – or perhaps cradling – the Wraith’s body in his arms, he took down everyone in his path, dousing his surroundings in enough blood to paint a barn red. At least, that’s what he _thought_ he saw, during the part of the fight when he wasn’t blinded.

“One of the Black Tips is knocked out near the crates. Get him on the boat, _now_ ,” Brekker said once he’d finally made it.

Rotty had taken plenty of orders from Brekker, but there was something different in his voice when he gave this one. It sounded like pain, like an old scar that had been slashed back open again at some point during the fight.

That scar stayed open for a few long days, until the Wraith emerged from the cabin of the _Ferolind_. Then it was like Brekker had never been marked with that scar to begin with, openly watching her as she walked around the deck, Jesper supporting her on his arm as they chatted.

“The Wraith returns!” Rotty called out as they passed, feeling contagiously in good spirits. He caught a couple words of their conversation as he continued about his business – it seemed like he wasn’t the only one who had noticed that Kaz was acting different. The fact that it was Jesper who noticed didn’t surprise him much – it seemed like he’d always been flitting around Kaz, whether he was purposely vying for attention or simply trying to keep an eye on his crush.

_It’s all fine and dandy now, but pretty soon at least one of those three is going to get their heart broken, and then we’ll be back to the ways of old scars._

He couldn’t wait until they reached Dierholm. He had a drink that needed nursing.


End file.
